o. >> tlts. welcome to al jazeera america. live from new york city, i'm tony harris, days before everyone could turn on the tap in west virginia. thousands of protestors in thailand trying to stop upcoming elections. well, the hits keep coming in what has been a tough week for new jersey governor chris

christie. it started last wednesday when documents were released showing that one of christie's top aids orchestrated lane closures on the george washington brirnlg. friday more documents released they showed the governor's govef was involved in trying to pin the story after it broke. today the state legislature announced the formation of a bipartisan commission to investigate the bridge bay scandal. >> this has become larger than a transportation issue and that's why we are creating the supercommittee. under the chairmanship of wizneuski, this trail will need something else, and we'll need to look at all evidence that's presented and act accordingly. >> so on top of so-called the bridge-gate scandal we learned

today that the housing and urban development department's inspector general is investigating whether christie used money for a jersey shore marketing campaign featuring the governor and his company. wow, john terrett is here with that. >> we knew this wasn't going to go away and here we are right back at it. >> the minute that you get an investigation that opens you have no idea where this investigation will lead to do you? >> let's start with the beach stuff. what happened was in summertime of last year was a campaign that the governor put together, stronger than the storm. in true chris christie fashion, is featured he and his family, talking up jersey tourism.

20 seconds of this advertisement, going to love this. snoaft♪ ♪ ♪ whoa. >> the jersey shore is open. >> the word is spreading. >> because we're stronger than the storm. >> you bet we are! >> now, that is exactly what a new jersey governor should be doing and he was doing it. according to frank palone, the governor of his team the governor and his team spent $2 million more than they need he to because the next lowest bid was $2 million and lower, and that bid did not involve the governor and his family. the rest of it was appropriated proper reply and used properly for the purpose it was deemed to be used for but of course it gave the governor a tremendous fill-up in terms of campaign time, campaign ad which he

didn't strictly pay for. i think frank palone is calling for hud, housing and urban development, to look into whether or not the christie administration misspent funding, in the light of hurricane sandy. and that doesn't get good on him. >> and the documents released since the news conference and to what extent there is some kind of a pattern here. >> that's exactly right. >> of the way the governor treats politicians who may not be allies. >> so the allegation is they closed the lanes on the world's busiest bridge the george washington bridge. there have been rumors around, strong rumors from michael phillip, mayor of jersey city, next door, that something happened to him.

now in all the papers, journal and new york times, suggesting a campaign or was a campaign or a list anyway that they had of people who they were disgruntled with. we are going to put a list on the screen there it is, mayor michael phillip, that's the day that michael phillip decided not to support chris christie's campaign. in the last hour, i've received e-mails from -- cancelled the meetings he was supposed to have, and it was cancelled very shortly after he failed to back governor christie. he wanted to be bipartisan. he wanted that very deeply that's why it was alleged he was angry and cancelled accordingly. >> he is going to give a state of the state address, scheduled for tomorrow. this is an important speech.

>> timing is everything. >> yes. >> obviously terrible timing. we don't know if governor christie is going to have anything to say on these various allegations. but quick note. a pew report, 65, 50% of independents, don't think that any of this has done anything to change their mind about governor christie. >> really, okay. john terrett for us, john appreciate it thank you. in west virginia water is starting to flow through taps. that have been idle for five days now. the governor says tests indicate the water is safe enough to lift a ban put in place after a chemical used in coal processing leaked from a storage tank just last week. american water company says some of the 300,000 people in the charleston area ask now use their water again. jonathan martin is in charleston with more. >> while the do not use ban is

being lifted it is done in a strict and methodology way. they really don't want the system to be overrun so they're notifying customers when they can use their water again. now we do know the process involves them flushing out their pipes for about 20 minutes. the governor told us today officials have tested about 200 samples of water over the last couple of days and they now meet federal standards. >> the numbers we have today look good and we are finally at a point where the do-not-use order is being lifted in some areas. >> the company responsible for the chemical spill, freedom industries, investigators want to find out how the leak happened, and how long it took them to notify authorities. >> so this company was able to operate close to the water supply without oversight or inspections for more than two decades. sheldon crimsky is a professor

at tufts university. how did it happen, the company was able to operate close to the water supply without oversight or inspections for more than two decades. again how was this allowed to happen? >> well, the rules for locating storage facilities are usually operated by the states. and they do the inspections. some states work with the federal government. the federal government having certain minimal standards. but somebody wasn't looking in this particular case. because the first thing you ask when you locate a facility storing toxic chemicals, is what's the worst-case scenario and what we've just seen is a worst-case scenario. somebody should have asked the question: what happens if this tank ruptures, where does the spill go, and what will be contaminated? >> you know i'm curious. could we find similar

situations, i know the answer to it as i ask the question, could we find similar situations where these tankers are close to water supplies in other areas of the country? >> there is no database for all storage tanks. there are communities that store chlorine in storage tanks. and of course, most of the storage tanks, we deal with, have gasoline and the federal government has taken a very strong regulation on the storage of gasolines tanks. and that's why you see many gasoline stations having to put in new, safe tanks, so that the tanks do not rupture and contaminate the groundwater. >> gotcha. professor, we apparently don't know much about the human side effects of this particular chemical, this mchm. can you tell me what it is? >> well, you know there are between 80 and 100,000 industrial chemicals. >> 80 and 100,000? >> thousand industrial chemicals in use.

and i wish we had a preties number, but we -- precise number but we don't. when they passed the toxic chemicals act in 1976, there were already 60,000 chemicals that were approved without adequate testing. so that came into the market as soon as the toxic substance control act was passed. then, an additional 20,000 chemicals were introduced, and the law does not require the companies that introduce the chemicals to prove that they are safe. this is unlike the drug law, where you have to show that the drug is safe because -- before you introduce it. the chemicals laws do not require this. so the government has to prove it's dangerous before the chemical is regulated. >> so we have a situation where it needs to be revisited whatever the statute is, whether it needs to be -- >> absolutely. absolutely.

>> okay. >> and there are some bills in congress that have addressed the reform of let's call tosca, the toxic substance control act, they haven't moved forward yet they have been before congress for several years. >> this this may be the future. >> this may be the moment. >> let's hope it is. sheldon crumbsky, professor at tufts university. thank you for your time. u.s. constitution allows the president to temporarily fill vacant positions only when the senate is in recess. some say the senate was in session when president obama appointed three people to the national labor relations board in january of 2012. libby casey is in washington. there has been quite a

contentious history if memory serves on the question of these recess appointment battles. >> that's right and it's never as heated as it was today, tony. president obama has wrestled with as well. the question is whether or not the president can make appointments, to serve in federal positions ranging from judgeships to heading federal agencies to sitting on boards like the national labor relations board when the senate is not in washington. now typically the president appoints someone the senate confirms them and the constitution says that the president must seek the advice and consent of the senate when doing so. the loophole however is when the senate's in recess. then the president historically has been able to make those appointments. the real question, though, is what it really means to be in recess. when the president appointed those three members to the flmpletrb, the -- the nlrb, the national labor relations board they started the new year but they weren't here in town.

and the president says if they weren't here that means they were in recess. spokesman jay carney spoke today and defended the white house position overall. >> we are confident that the president's authority to make recess appointments will be upheld in the courts and look forward to resolution of this matter. >> reporter: now, senate republicans say it is the senate that decides when that body is in recess and a pro forma session means they are still around and tony they say they may have the upper hand on this one. >> as we have been discussing here, this is a battle that has been going on for some time now. what does it mean, the balance of power between the congress and the white house? >> we saw this argued this morning. we'll know the supreme court's decision by the end of june when they wrap up this term. where does the balance of power lie? is the president allowed to move

forward? the senate's accused of blocking the there president's appointment and he had no choice but to go ahead and fill important vacancies, well republican lamar alexander of tennessee spoke on the senate floor and while he used a bit of hyperbole, he expressed why senate republicans are so concerned. >> hopefully, the supreme court agrees with the appellate courts. otherwise the senate might go out to lunch and return find that we have a new supreme court justice. >> and as the senator said a lower court did side with the person who brought this case, a company in washington state, that didn't like a decision made by the national labor relations board and sued because he said that three of those appointments on that board were not length because they were -- legitimate because they were put in without the senate's agreement. >> you go to lunch and could you

come back with a new supreme court justice. libby casey on capitol hill. libby appreciate it, that is crazy. could be a step to peace in syria. humanitarian aid into some parts of the war torn country. this comes as secretary of state john kerry and diplomats of other countries met in paris to discuss a peace conference scheduled for next week in switzerland. those discussions come as the fighting gets even more brutal, if you can imagine that. al jazeera's andy gallagher has more. >> if the reports from syria are why correct, the insurgent from i.s.i.l. are gaining ground. another report claims 100 rebel fighters were killed by the i.s.i.l, handed over weapons and key positions. in fighting between the i.s.i.l. and rebel groups has intensified over the last few days with some

reports suggesting 500 people have died during vicious fighting. situation on the ground is already a complex one but if the i.s.i.l. have gained control of key cities it puts the strain on already tense negotiations. western nations are encouraging all sides in the conflict to come together for peace talks later this month in switzerland and the i.s.i.l. reported gains could make that harder. meanwhile in the eastern country side of hama, rebel groups claim to have are killed 25 government soldiers. government air strikes in the suburbs of damascus continue unabated. the town of al sabadani one of those under heavy shelling. the peace conference is scheduled to take place on january 22nd. andy gallagher al jazeera. >> at least seven people were killed in two car bombs in the iraqi capitol on monday. trying to undermine the government support.

the u.n. secretary-general nouri al-maliki, western cities of fallujah and ra ramadi, pushingr new sanction he against iran, this comes a day after iran and six world powers reached agreement on implementing a deal reached in november to curb iran's nuclear program, iran has agreed to start implementing the deal on monday. following relief from curriculum are ling sanctions. powx has vowed to block any sanctions provided by congress. calling for the release of al jazeera staff mccain tweeted totally agree. producers mohamed fahmy and

mohamed baher and peter greste, are accused of joining a terrorist group. al jazeera claim that is totally groundless. two other members have been held for three months now. parts of capitol bangkok to a standstill, blockaded several intersections, part of an effort to get the prime minister to quit before elections in feb. al jazeera scott hydeler has more from bangkok. >> thousands of antigovernment protestors are massed at seven massive intersections in bangkok. they have set up stages and settled in. on monday they kicked off their self proclaimed shutdown.the thai capital home to about 12 million people.

melissa berkell flew in on monday. >> we don't relate it in the future just as long as they're not corrupt. >> protest leaders say their shutdown will last at least 15 days. there is no doubt that these antigovernment protestors have achieved their immediate are goal. but this is unclear whether this will help them achieve their long term goal of unseating the prime minister. care taker yingluck shinawatra, resign by wednesday or else they will shut down. the prime minister spent most of the day with her meetings with her top advisors. the push for change is going to take commitment. >> the people out here they all want a better future for thailand and they think we

cannot go on with politics as usual. it's going to hurt in the short term. >> reporter: that's not great news for sechi raruga. his business is way down. >> wants to end corruption but the longer the political cries you continues in thailand the less the government responds. i hope sutap will end this very soon. >> sutap has called this the final battle but just how he can convert the popular movement to a change in government is far from clear. scott hydeler, al jazeera, bangkok. >> plane took off just a few moments ago from tulsa, oklahoma. the flight from chicago was supposed to land in branson last night but touched down at a small airport a few miles away. passengers were taken by bus to

branson. the runway where it landed was ab supposed to land. al jazeera's lisa stark is on the ground for us. we have heard the airport is so small it doesn't have the fire and rescue equipment yes, this runway was half as long as branson airport, where the plane was supposed to land six miles away. clearly, if there had been major mishap, clearly there was not there wouldn't have been onscene fire aid like the pilots expect. >> this is not the first of this

kind. is the fa going to do a safety check on this at least? >> apparently it is not rare. there was a jumbo jet that landed at the wrong airport in kansas. the faa says they will be looking into the individual circumstances of each one a maj, tony. >> let me get to the question i really want to ask here. is there a simple explanation as to how something like this could have happened? >> well, these were veteran pilots. the captain had more than 15 years' experience with southwest so clearly the captain knew what he was doing. you know, were they looking out the window, not relying on their instruments, did they put the wrong coordinates into their computer? these are all questions that the ntsb willrecorder back here for. >> lisa stark, thank you. coming up on al jazeera america,

two data breaches, even more companies may have been hacked. plus, could all of these hacks be connected? >> and a protest to ban gay marriage in indiana, lighting up social media. >> they have threatened our lives, our families' lives, i don't think anyone should be subjected to these e-mails and threats. >> the club has alerted the fbi. samuel said this is probably just a distraction. >> the message is the life of the endangered species is on the line. >> so what is the future? president of the humane seat of the united states join us tonight.

i assume its no stretch to assume that your organization would be opposed to this. tell us why? >> well, joie there are many rare species in the world, and the black rhino is one of the rarest. because of poaching and habitat loss we should do everything we possibly can to protect them. the idea of linking a trophy hunting exercise to conservation may make sense to folks who are involved in trophy hunting, but real reporting that brings you the world. >> this is a pretty dangerous trip. >> security in beirut is tight. >> more reporters. >> they don't have the resources to take the fight to al shabaab. >> more bureaus, more stories. >> this is where the typhoon came ashore. giving you a real global perspective like no other can. >> al jazeera, nairobi. >> on the turkey-syria border. >> venezuela. >> beijing. >> kabul. >> hong kong. >> ukraine. >> the artic. real reporting from around the world. this is what we do.

al jazeera america. >> a vote that would ban same-sex marriage in indiana has been postponed but that didn't stop hundreds of people from protesting today if it passes this would be a constitutional amendment, the topic has moved to center stage on social media. maria innes ferre is following this. maria. >> same sex marriage in indiana, these are the images of the house chamber, you can see people here listening to a four hour debate on the topic. the people that are dressed in red are against this amendment and you can see here, this is outside the chamber in the media gallery, people are gathered

here as well. and freedom indiana is one of the groups that are opposed to this. they are a group of businesses and they say that economically this would not be good for the state because they wouldn't be able to attract talent for employment inside the state. also people have been tweeting about their own experiences, andy markel is running for state representative here. he writes today is lard for me. i am openly gay, on the one hand extremely embarrassed. and jair any wensel, says wabash stands strongly against hjr 3 at the indiana house. woman says yes on hjr 3. also the nation for marriage.org, they have been putting out ads and tweeting throughout the day as well. as well as advance america.

they are an organization that has been putting out ads on youtube. now, a panel of 13 lawmakers have to vote on the ban. four of them are democrats tony. but in order to strike it down, three republicans have to join them. >> okay, maria, you'll stay on top of that for us appreciate it thank you. okay, let's get you to wall street, take a look at the numbers here. oh that's not good. a tough start to the week i'd say, the market falling 179 points. big earnings reports being released this week. among the reports that will be closely watched, j.p. morgan chase, the country's biggest bank is expected to have a profit of more than $5 billion on revenue of almost $24 billion. it is the first earnings report since the bank's $13 billion

settlement with the government over bad subprime loans. and listen to this: a record setting budget surplus for the united states thanks to fannie mae and freddie mac. the treasury says washington was $53 billion ahead in december, the mortgage finance companies gave uncle sam nearly $40 billion as part of their 2008 bailout agreement. and coming up on al jazeera america, customer data, those breaches growing by the day. we are learning that on top of target and neiman marcus, three other companies may have been hacked. we have got the details. chipping at roots to help detroit get out of debt. plus we will take you live to the detroit auto show, kicking off today. >> next we consider sacrifice and whether saving some members

of endangered species is worth assault. afghan president karzai is long accused the un

>> welcome back to al jazeera

america. i'm tony harris. here's a look at your top stories. the water ban has now being lifted from west virginia. 300,000 people have been without water for five days. investigating whether new jersey governor chris christie improperly spent hurricane sandy relief money, christie's office says the review is routine. the audit could take several months. arguments for the first tame today over using a provision of the constitution to make the appointments of high government officials while that the is in recess should be allowed. 2013 was a tough year for detroit. declared bankruptcy in july and has been trying to pay off $20 billion in debt.

creative ways of getting out of the home, selling off art. but guess what: things are already looking up. jonathan betz is here. this is good news. >> this is creative way to pull up cash that detroit needs. retired workers and its art. several nonprofits including the ford foundation have commitclose to $330 million towards the city's debt. now, this does not solve the crisis but it could soften the blow to detroit's retirees who face cuts in their pensions. donation also hopes to save its art museum, keeping masterpieces inside the museum. there are close to 60,000 pieces at the detroit institute of the arts, worth up to $900 million. many were in danger of being sold, this donation would now

protect them. still detroit has a very long road ahead of it. its total debt close to $18 billion. appeals and negotiations over who exactly should get paid. by march the city must submit its plan how it will emerge from bankruptcy. then the big date, september of 2014 in the fall the manager there hopes to finally exit bankruptcy 14 months after declaring it. it is an ambitious time line. hopefully this will encourage other charities to give, and ease what will be very painful cuts at this point. >> jonathan, appreciate it, thank you. the auto industry was the heart as you know of detroit's economy and its collapse in 2009 crippled this city but general motors, chrysler and ford have turned their businesses around and are hoping their showcases at this week's detroit auto show will help them push them oa brighter future. gm's chevrolet brand last already twept the -- has already

swept the area. bisi onile-ere is on the floor there. bisi how will this help the big picture here? >> well, tony, this is an event that allows the auto makers to showcase all of their product and this is a very, very big stage. just to put it in perspective, you have journalists from all over the world and you have this huge stage. well, overall this generates sales. it wasn't that long ago when these auto makers here in america that they were facing really tough times because that recession that hit in 2009. i can tell you they've come a long way in a very short time. u.s. auto sales have rebounded, plants are hiring again. and the global appeal of north american made cars is growing. u.s. auto industry is riding high. last year, auto makers exported more vehicles than ever.

2 million, and 15.6 million vehicles were sold in the u.s. these figures are a vast improvement compared to use four years ago -- just four years ago when the recession hit. vehicle sales dropped to 10.4 million. >> the auto industry has come back to fight another day. today is thriving. >> dr. john taylor is a professor in wayne state university in detroit. he rawlts the years of 2009 when general motors, chrysler and ford were running on empty. >> it was quite a depression. >> the u.s. government under the obama administration bailed out both gm and chrysler and ford found financial relief in federal loans. >> that had to happen to help extricate themselves from some of the problems and the problems were made on both sides. they were made by management and they were made by union organizations. >> major restructuring which included job losses, plant close

ks, gone were the cases of generous $25 an hour are jobs. >> i think people on the industry knew there would be another day. >> i think it's a come back year and i think it's just the beginning. >> reporter: in a dazzling display of hot wheels and new invocations, the north american international auto show is kicking off its 25th year in detroit. >> today's marketplace is a lot different than when we were young. traditionally i grew up with the big 3, ford, gm and chrysler. you look on the floor and there's hyundai, mercedes, toyota, honda, all of these brands are really american brands now. i mean this is a global marketplace. >> joe ratinski says there's a new interest driving this event.

>> you could feel the confidence, you could feel the optimism, it's actually a very, very exciting time. >> reporter: they are just now back on the road to recovery but in a just short time the u.s. auto industry has traveled far. and about 50 vehicles will be unvailunveiled during this even. pickup truck f-150 makes it so unique that unlike many cars this vehicle is made up of aluminum which means it weighs a whole lot less than other vehicles and because it weighs less it is supposed to be more fuel efficient. has a whole lot of people talking. >> the aluminum f-150. bisi what does this auto show mean for local economy? >> it's huge. as you know i believe you mentioned at the top of the story is that right now city of detroit it's bankrupt. the largest municipal brup banky

in u.s. history. i'm told that the estimates of the auto show in itself generates about $400 million in the two weeks that it's here. >> let's do it every week then. bisi onile-ere is in detroit. ali velshi talks to allen mullaleey tonight. in his new memoir, robert gates questions whether president obama truly believed in his own strategy in afghanistan. president obama just moments ago was asked about the book and said gates was an outstanding defense secretary and they got

it right, unwavering in his confidence in u.s. troops and that we need to see this job alt the way through. that's a quote. gates's utah boygraphy is on sale tomorrow. >> president obama's health care law but it is not exactly the people the administration was hoping would sign up. government reports more than million and a half enrolled in december alone. the people signing up are older, a demographic that could cause problems which could lead to premiums going up in the future, if the pattern persists. former israeli prime minister ariel sharon was buried today. after eight years in a coma, the controversial leader died on saturday. nick shifrin has more. >> in front of the israeli

parliament, they said good-bye to a man whose history mirrors that of israel. >> an exceptional soldier, a man who charmed us all even during the most difficult hours. >> they remembered his long military career, his dramatic political fall and return to power and the nickname he used his whole life: arik. >> arik understood that in matters of our existence and security we must stand firm. >> had he a north star. that guided him. a north star from which he never, in my observation, never deviated. his north star was the survival of the state of israel. >> once dubbed king arik for his

battle field victories, was given a full military burial. he was buried on his ranch. sharon loved this land. it is israel's largest private farm. soldiers who fought for him? brothers who voted for him and former supporters who strongly opposed his decision to pull settlers from the gaza strip. >> he developed the strip and then disengaged. it made no sense. >> police and the army deployed a security blimp and early warning sirens. >> there is a full security umbrella that has taken place. that includes both 800 police officers, border police and undercover agencies that are working. >> the funeral wasn't interrupted. his sons read the hebrew prayer for the dead and the country laid to rest the man who people here called a war hero, who some

palestinians called a thief. >> end to the violence and establish a stable government, the country's previous president stepped down and went into compile in benin last week, 1 million people have fled their homes, rebels overthrew the government last march but allegations of rights abuses sparked violence killing more than a thousand people last month alone. it has been two years since the costa concordia sunk. 32 people died when the cruise ship sank. as claudio lavango reports from giglio, the incident is far from over. >> the shipwreck on its second

anniversary. two years after the cruise liner capsized off the island of giglio, authorities remember that 32 passengers lost their lives. the island's mayor says that it's important to remember the tragedy but he looks forward to putting it behind him. >> translator: we will finally be relieved to see it go away. this should have never happened in the first place, let alone on an island like this one. >> reporter: meanwhile, many observers observed a minute of silence. with and the shipwreck recovery is still ongoing. >> we were the persons who had the problems. we were the persons who get near to death and a firm like this who makes millions or billions of dollars spends some less money or nothing to ask that it is unbelievable.

>> this is likely to be the last anniversary for the shipwreck just off the island. it was announced that the cruise liner would be finally toed away in june. >> the port where it will be addition manted for scrapping will are in march. four of them are in italy but france britt ann turkey and china are also competing for the lucrative commission. next phase is to make it floatable again. 15 giants water tanks will soon be annexed to the damaged starboard side. they will then be emptied to give buoyancy to the ship. should the concordia not be stable enough to be toe towed a, the vanguard will be used to sail it away for its last

journey on the sea. >> india is on the verge of being declared polio free. five years ago, half of the world's polio cases were in the country. the disease as you know attacks the nerves system. declaring india a polio-free nation. you heard about the target data breach, right? affecting millions of customers and then the neiman marcus data breach. as kilmen kilmeny duchart repor. >> target and neiman marcus stores. this after reports show that this may have happened to three

other u.s. retailers. congress wants to know why u.s. shoppers are the last to know. when target was breached they waited four days to tell customers. similarly, neiman marcus waited nine days after telling their customers, while 46 states have laws on data breach notification they are not uranium, in some cases they were weak. they leave it to cd companies to decide when it's necessary. as was the case with target, other personal information is left at risk. the new york attorney general's office gave this statement. data breaches like this can make consumers vulnerable to identity theft and other crimes that can have devastating effect on their financial security. i will continue to work with my colleagues and other attorney general offices to make sure that new yorkers can shop

without fear of their personal data being stolen. investigators are still working to determine if the breaches are linked. kilmeny duchart, al jazeera. >> a federal judge has failed to stop the execution of an ohio man facing death by a method that has never been used before. his client will be agonized and terrorized by the two drugs are used. the attorney wants to stop the execution saying a jury never got hear the extent of his client's abusive childhood. also a court upheld the determination, nigerian maruk abdul matab admit he was

carrying a bomb in his underwear for are al qaeda. abortion he after 20 weeks in arizona unconstitutional that means the 2012 state law approved by governor jan brewer have been shut down. the way arizona measures gestation means it would bar abortions two weeks earlier than other states. and former basketball star dennis rowdma rodman says he's e couldn't help a u.s. citizen detained there. he took a group of nb amp players to pyongyang for the ruler's birthday party. >> let's not and say you did.

thank you kimberly. alex rodriguez has just filed a lawsuit against major league baseball players union. it was promised and here it is. asking the u.s. federal court judge to throw out the decision, and evidence indicated he had used banned substances. still ahead, from al jazeera, removing religion from the workplace. how the government in quebec plans to do just that.

tblp and whether saving some members of endangered species is worth >> welcome back to al jazeeraam. the moral monday protest that began in north carolina last year are spreading to georgia. the demonstrations are in response to what some call right wing policies, demonstrators gather around the state capitol while legislators meet there. robert, we picked you out. tell us bit more about the moral monday movement. >> yes, hello township. it is a rainy day on the steps

of atlanta's state capitol. the montage of individuals who are here to start moral monday. this particular movement started in north carolina last april. it has expanded quite rapidly. in fact at one point in asheville, north carolina, nearly 10,000 rally protestors were out there. there have been over 900 people arrested for civil dirs obedience -- disobedience around this. basically they would like medicaid expanded in many southern states including here in georgia. the governor has decided not to take federal funds to expand medicaid, all the while protesting obamacare. let me bring in somebody who is deeply a part of this. this is a man who is part of the moral monday georgia, kevin moran, what is the goal here, what is the accomplishment? >> on a rainy day in georgia it is necessary to we set the moral

priorities of this administration. are an extremist right-wing small number of folks has taken over the moral priorities of this state. he we're here today, moral monday georgia is here today to redirect the conversation in this state we love, back to the moral priorities. the. >> the cross, what does it stand for? >> this cross represents one of the 3600 individuals that governor nathan diehl will condemn to deaths by not signing the medicaid expansion legislation. >> hate to cut you off, we're running a little bit out of time, but we appreciate you standing in the rain with us. good luck on your movement.

>> hi, hi sir, how you doing, you're with the american cancer society. sir what is your name? >> otis brawley. >> why are you out here today? >> i'm a physician, i'm an epidemiologist and i study what happens to people when they have health care and what happens to people when they don't have health care. 600,000 plus georgians without health care is a lot of suffering. i don't think our politicians realize how many people will suffer be pain and die because they lacked preventive care, they lacked cancer treatment, they lacked treatment for diebts, heart disease and other things. >> diabetes, heart disease and other things. >> it's live television, i appreciate it, thank you so much. tony, you can see a lot of people with a lot of things that they'd like to say as a giant tbus goes in front of me. -- bus goes in front of me.

but this is a passionate movement and it seems to be going. >> if i waited up a little bit the heavens would open up on you. robert ray for us in atlanta. good to see you. the canadian province of quebec wants to stop religious symbols like hababs and large crews fixes. as daniel lack reports from montreal, the proposal has settle off a huge debate. >> these two women want to work in the public sector helping others but there's a problem. quebec's government wants to stop civil servants from wearing religious symbols like hababs. >> it is literally aimed at jews and muslims and christians and it's just -- they're creating targets. i'm not going to choose between work and my religion or work and

absolutely that's not how the law should be. >> this is what they're talking about. it's from an official government document and basically it says if you work for the civil service you can't wear nihab sirvetion or hijabs, smaller symbols are permitted. at public positions in quebec, working civil servants must demonstrate that in what they wear. >> if you are religiously neutral while you are on the job you should not be allowed to displace displai your religious convictions for others, out of respect for everyone, for everyone religion for every belief and nonbelief. >> this photograph of two veiled day care workers appeared on

television, the people that owned the daycare asked us to keep their identity secret. >> for me the big issue was for someone to force me to take off my nahab or to force me that i can't work because this is a choice that i made. >> universities, losse hospitald government facilities. >> i have been able to perform my duties defend the interest of my citizens and i've asked the question, how is my wearing proictding me from accomplishing those task force? >> so far the bill has strong support along french speaking quebecers, but not amongsting english speakers. >> part of an election campaign

in 2014. daniel lack al jazeera, montreal. >> rebecca has your national forecast next.

>> snow coming down in the northern plains right now. we have been watching high wind warnings in this area along with a little clipper system keeping winter weather advisories going all the way into michigan impacting minnesota. temperatures and wind gusts they are warm for the southwest but it is woint there. wind gusts are popping up high even 59 mile-per-hour gusts for billings just in the last hour. the storm system as it's moving

through is keeping us mild across the board but temperatures are going oslowly cool again as we get in the next few days. yeah more cold air on the way and while we're warm in the northeast we're still concerned about a little bit of freezing rain creating icing in parts of northern maine. >> and rebecca thank you. this is al jazeera america live from new york city, with a look at today's top stories. west virginia ask lifting water restrictions for communities affected by last week's chemical spill. investigators are looking at the potential long term impacts resulting from the spill. foreign dignitaries including vice president joe biden paid their final respects today to former israeli prime minister airial sharon. he was honored earlier today in jerusalem with a state ceremony. lawyers for alex rodriguez